This week Grahamstown was graced by the magnificent skill and artistry of sister and brother duo, Avigail and Ammiel Bushakevitz.
This week Grahamstown was graced by the magnificent skill and artistry of sister and brother duo, Avigail and Ammiel Bushakevitz.
These two consummate artists played a selection of violin and piano pieces with great technical proficiency, but also wonderful delicacy, passion and style.
Opening the concert with a trio of gentle, sleepy pieces by Respighi, Saint-Saens and Vieuxtemps, the two performers set the tone of precision and understated passion.
The harmonically complex Vieuxtemps with its tensions and resolutions was beautifully handled by Avigail, and the Saint-Saens brought lightness into the midst of two darker pieces.
The Mozart sonata that followed was wonderful in it's conversation between violin and piano.
The precision required for Mozart was evident, and the humour and fun inherent in this very difficult piece was delightful.
Avigail performed two solo violin compositions by Ben-Haim and Kreisler, where her rich tone and technical brilliance shone out.
The sotto voce movement from Ben-Haim's solo sonata gave us a glimpse into how flexible the tone production of a violin can really be with its fluting, sometimes woody and slightly grating sounds and skilful harmonics.
Kreisler, always a showcase of brilliance, started with great gravitas and dignity, finishing with a brilliantly executed scherzo-caprice.
Ammiel then played two transcriptions for solo piano of Schubert's songs, Auf dem Wasser zu Singen and Erlkoenig. Ammiel's obvious love for this genre emerged in these passionately played examples of the Sturm-und-Drang era.
The concert was rounded off by the Rondeau brilliant for piano and violin by Schubert, but ended with a lovely gentle piece composed by the duo's brother Benjamin Bushakevitz, played with great simplicity and feeling.
